Co-operative Community Accolades

The positive feedback BCICS receives inspires our research and our many successful activities. The knowledge that we are making a difference fuels our commitment to the co-operative community.

We have received much positive feedback over the years; below is a collection of testimonials of which we are particularly proud.

From Co-op Practitioners

“As someone who has been involved in starting a co-operative, I have been very grateful to have access to the resources that the BCICS provides. BCICS’ Co-operative Manual has proved to be invaluable and has helped start us on the right foot and continues to provide direction along the way.”

Lucy Pribas – Project Coordinator, North Coast Artists’ Co-operative

“There is a very bright future for co-operatives in this province as young people search for meaningful ways of conducting business and finding employment. I think BCICS will be a part of that future.”

“The ongoing research of the BCICS is extremely valuable to the B.C. co-operative community. Following a beneficial presentation by Kathleen Gabelmann and Dr. Ian MacPherson, our board engaged in many valuable discussions and made several new connections through recommended contacts.”

Joel Russ – Vice-President, The Wood Co-op, B.C.

“BCICS helps to validate a form of business organization that budding business people, and the general public, may not be familiar with—even though they may deal with co-ops every day, such as doing their banking with a credit union, to buying their milk, groceries, and/or gas from a co-op.”

Elizabeth Woods – President, Victoria Literary Times Publishing Co-operative

From Students

“BCICS’ research and literature regarding economic theory, community case studies and operational handbooks has helped many people, including me, to develop a complete understanding of available economic models for business, ownership, and consumption – particularly as it is relevant to BC residents.”

Ron Dueck – UVic Law

“Without the BCICS preserving the records of co-op activities in BC and around the world much of the work accomplished in the past will be lost and the knowledge created will be obscured or neglected.”

Katie Tucker – McGill Law

“With BCICS, I had the opportunity to research and visit an island community where co-operatives have been a way of life for over a century, and where new co-operative ventures were being formed in response to economic depression. BCICS has, literally, shown me a different world and a different model for living in it.”

Kevin Wilson – Masters of Arts in History, UVic